Taiwan has sought to lower the voting and candidacy ages for more than a decade. But now that the amendment has been approved by legislators across party lines, it faces several other hurdles. And the biggest of them is the voter threshold of 9.6 billion required to lower the voting age to 18. Meanwhile, China has slammed the referendum and called it 'separatist'

WION Fineprint: China factor in Taiwan 'midterms'

America has witnessed another episode of gun violence. In a shocking incident, five people were killed and 18 injured after a shooting attack at a gay nightclub in Colorado.

US: Gunman kills five, injures 18 in gay nightclub at Colorado

FBI Director Christopher Wray has said that bomb-laden drones are circulating in the U.S. He has further claimed that these drones can carry drugs or launch weaponry withing America. Priyanka Sharma reports.

Gravitas: FBI Director says bomb-laden drones are circulating in America

Republicans have won a majority in the House of Representatives; Democrats control the Senate. There is a clear division is the U.S. Congress, also a division with the Republicans. What does the divided state of America mean for Americans? Priyanka Sharma tells you.

Gravitas | The divided state of America: A divided Congress, a division within the House

Officials from Russia and the US are expected to meet soon. Both sides could resume inspections of nuclear weapon sites. Will this move reduce the tensions? Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: America's move to contain Russian nuclear risk

Over 5 American states have voted to uphold abortion rights. Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, California & Vermont, all 5 of them held a referendum on abortion. The people of all 5 states have voted overwhelming in favour of abortion. Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: US Midterm Election: These 5 states have upheld abortion rights

Are we in another age of mass extinction? A new study says nearly 70% of wildlife population has been wiped out in the last 50 years. Latin America & Africa witnessed the steepest decline. What explains this? How do we stop it?

Gravitas: Are we in another age of Mass extinction?

As arguments over politics in America’s two-party system grow hostile, political scientists have produced a string of studies and surveys to probe the potential of widespread political violence or even civil war. Such fears are understandable in a country that has more guns than people (332 million inhabitants, 434 million guns). Concern grew after the January 6 storming of the US&nbsp;Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump who believed Democrats had rigged the elections and stolen victory from their leader.

One survey, in particular, stood out for me. It was conducted by the research firm Ipsos for the Violence Prevention Research Program of the University of California, Davis, which described it as the first of its kind to explore the 8,620 participants’ “personal willingness to engage in specific political violence scenarios.”

Key results

50.1 per cent agreed that “in the next several years there will be civil war in the United States.” 67.2 per cent saw a serious threat to American democracy. 42.4 per cent agreed that having a strong leader for America is more important than having a democracy. A similar percentage thought that native-born white people are being replaced by immigrants. And one in five thought that political violence is sometimes justifiable.

The survey was conducted four months before America’s midterm elections which will decide whether the Democratic Party can maintain its narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. 435 seats in the House and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate will be contested.

As the elections, scheduled on November 8 draws&nbsp;closer, rhetoric on both sides of the political divide has become ever more heated. President Joe Biden described the most vocal strain of the Republican Party as “semi-fascism.” Majorities in both parties, according to the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based think tank, view members of the other party as immoral, dishonest, and closed-minded.

This ranks relatively low on the toxic insult score. A study published in the Journal of Democracy by Rachel Kleinfeld, an expert on troubled democracies, found that both Democrats and Republicans harboured high levels of “dehumanising thought”.&nbsp;39 per cent of Democrats and 41 per cent of Republicans saw the other side as “downright evil". 16 per cent of Democrats and 20 per cent of Republicans said their opponents were “like animals.”

A history of political violence

Such feelings, she said, can point to psychological levels of violence, although this is a politely phrased understatement. The 1994 genocide in Rwanda was partly driven by radio broadcasts calling for the extermination of Tutsi “cockroaches.” During the holocaust, Nazis referred to Jews as “rats” and "subhuman".

Kleinfeld points out that political violence has a long history in the United States. In the late 1960s and 1970s, far-left groups carried out bombings and kidnappings. From the late 1970s, political violence began shifting to the right in the form of white supremacists, anti-abortion and militia groups.

In the past few years, government efforts to suppress and counter right-wing violence have primarily&nbsp;focused on groups such as the Oath Keepers and the Patriot Front. Drawing from the Global Terrorism Database and FBI statistics, Kleinfeld found that people committing right-wing violence often differ from the image of the typical terrorist.

“They often hold jobs, are married and have children, “ she found. “Those who attend church or belong to community groups are more likely to hold violent, conspiratorial beliefs. These are not isolated ‘lone wolves’, they are part of a broad community that echoes their ideas.”

Talks of civil war become mainstream

Only a few years ago, talk of widespread political violence or a second civil war was confined to the darkest corners of the Internet. No longer. It has become mainstream since followers of Donald Trump, many wearing sweatshirts saying MAGA CIVIL WAR January 6, 2021, stormed the Capitol to stop, for the first time in American history, the peaceful transfer of power.

In late August, Biden added to the steadily heating rhetoric in advance of the elections by singling out ”MAGA Republicans,” essentially Trump’s base, as followers of a philosophy “like semi-fascism.” (MAGA stands for Make America Great Again, the slogan that helped Trump win the 2016 elections).

Though Biden referred to just a part of the Republican Party, establishment party leaders promptly declared he had besmirched the entire party and more than 70 million Americans who voted for Trump. The temperature in America’s toxic political environment promptly became even hotter.

One of the most discussed contributions to the debate over the prospect of political violence has been a book titled 'How civil wars start and How to stop them'. The author, Barbara F. Walters, is a professor of International Relations at the University of California, San Diego, and serves on an advisory council run by the Central Intelligence Agency called the Political Instability Task Force.

In her book, which made it onto the New York Times bestseller list earlier this year, she cites examples from Iraq, Syria, Yugoslavia, Ireland, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, South Africa and the Philippines.

The task force looked at a wide range of variables, including poverty, ethnic diversity, population size, inequality and corruption to help researchers make predictions. To their surprise, the best predictors of instability were not poverty and income but a political system in the middle.

How does the United States fare in this way of looking at instability?

Walters comes to a sobering conclusion, “We are closer to civil war than any of us would like to believe.”

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

&nbsp;

As arguments over politics in America’s two-party system grow hostile, political scientists have produced a string of studies and surveys to probe the potential of widespread political violence or even civil war.

As arguments over politics in America’s two-party system grow hostile, political scientists have produced a string of studies and surveys to probe the potential of widespread political violence or even civil war. Such fears are understandable in a country that has more guns than people (332 million inhabitants, 434 million guns). Concern grew after the January 6 storming of the US Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump who believed Democrats had rigged the elections and stolen victory from their leader. One survey, in particular, stood out for me. It was conducted by the research firm Ipsos for the Violence Prevention Research Program of the University of California, Davis, which described it as the first of its kind to explore the 8,620 participants’ “personal willingness to engage in specific political violence scenarios.” Key results 50.1 per cent agreed that “in the next several years there will be civil war in the United States.” 67.2 per cent saw a serious threat to American democracy. 42.4 per cent agreed that having a strong leader for America is more important than having a democracy. A similar percentage thought that native-born white people are being replaced by immigrants. And one in five thought that political violence is sometimes justifiable. The survey was conducted four months before America’s midterm elections which will decide whether the Democratic Party can maintain its narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. 435 seats in the House and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate will be contested. As the elections, scheduled on November 8 draws closer, rhetoric on both sides of the political divide has become ever more heated. President Joe Biden described the most vocal strain of the Republican Party as “semi-fascism.” Majorities in both parties, according to the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based think tank, view members of the other party as immoral, dishonest, and closed-minded. This ranks relatively low on the toxic insult score. A study published in the Journal of Democracy by Rachel Kleinfeld, an expert on troubled democracies, found that both Democrats and Republicans harboured high levels of “dehumanising thought”. 39 per cent of Democrats and 41 per cent of Republicans saw the other side as “downright evil". 16 per cent of Democrats and 20 per cent of Republicans said their opponents were “like animals.” A history of political violence Such feelings, she said, can point to psychological levels of violence, although this is a politely phrased understatement. The 1994 genocide in Rwanda was partly driven by radio broadcasts calling for the extermination of Tutsi “cockroaches.” During the holocaust, Nazis referred to Jews as “rats” and "subhuman". Kleinfeld points out that political violence has a long history in the United States. In the late 1960s and 1970s, far-left groups carried out bombings and kidnappings. From the late 1970s, political violence began shifting to the right in the form of white supremacists, anti-abortion and militia groups. In the past few years, government efforts to suppress and counter right-wing violence have primarily focused on groups such as the Oath Keepers and the Patriot Front. Drawing from the Global Terrorism Database and FBI statistics, Kleinfeld found that people committing right-wing violence often differ from the image of the typical terrorist. “They often hold jobs, are married and have children, “ she found. “Those who attend church or belong to community groups are more likely to hold violent, conspiratorial beliefs. These are not isolated ‘lone wolves’, they are part of a broad community that echoes their ideas.” Talks of civil war become mainstream Only a few years ago, talk of widespread political violence or a second civil war was confined to the darkest corners of the Internet. No longer. It has become mainstream since followers of Donald Trump, many wearing sweatshirts saying MAGA CIVIL WAR January 6, 2021, stormed the Capitol to stop, for the first time in American history, the peaceful transfer of power. In late August, Biden added to the steadily heating rhetoric in advance of the elections by singling out ”MAGA Republicans,” essentially Trump’s base, as followers of a philosophy “like semi-fascism.” (MAGA stands for Make America Great Again, the slogan that helped Trump win the 2016 elections). Though Biden referred to just a part of the Republican Party, establishment party leaders promptly declared he had besmirched the entire party and more than 70 million Americans who voted for Trump. The temperature in America’s toxic political environment promptly became even hotter. One of the most discussed contributions to the debate over the prospect of political violence has been a book titled 'How civil wars start and How to stop them'. The author, Barbara F. Walters, is a professor of International Relations at the University of California, San Diego, and serves on an advisory council run by the Central Intelligence Agency called the Political Instability Task Force. In her book, which made it onto the New York Times bestseller list earlier this year, she cites examples from Iraq, Syria, Yugoslavia, Ireland, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, South Africa and the Philippines. The task force looked at a wide range of variables, including poverty, ethnic diversity, population size, inequality and corruption to help researchers make predictions. To their surprise, the best predictors of instability were not poverty and income but a political system in the middle. How does the United States fare in this way of looking at instability? Walters comes to a sobering conclusion, “We are closer to civil war than any of us would like to believe.” (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Dark days ahead for America? Is a civil war brewing?

Are you applying for a U.S. Visa? You may have to wait until 2024 to get one. The waiting period for a U.S. Visa in New Delhi is 800 days. What explains this backlog? Priyanka Sharma explains.

Gravitas: Why are American visas taking so long?

Strange sounds and mysterious moans have been heard on American Airline flights. People think the flights are haunted. The Airlines claims it's a mechanical issue. Molly Gambhir brings you the details.

WION Fineprint: Mysterious sounds on American Airlines flights

Europe considers charging American tech giants for the amount of internet bandwidth they use. The EU wants technology companies to pay for upgrading internet infrastructure. Molly Gambhir tells you about what Europe plans to do.

WION Fineprint: Europe considers charging big tech firms for their usage of internet bandwidth

Birds are a key indicator of the health of the planet, as they are responsive to environmental change and have important ecological functions.

However, it seems that some bird species are nearing extinction, a new report has claimed. And it has blamed&nbsp;human actions for such ecological destruction.

A report titled ‘State of the World’s Birds’, which is published every four years by BirdLife International, has said that 49 per cent of the bird species are on the decline, while one in eight are threatened with extinction and at least 187 species are confirmed or suspected to have gone extinct since 1500.

"One in eight bird species is threatened with extinction, and the status of the world's birds continues to deteriorate: species are moving ever faster towards extinction," said the report released this week.

The report bases its findings on the data of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In North America, the losses are profound. BirdLife International report&nbsp;states that there are now 2.9 billion fewer individual birds in the region than there were in 1970, an estimated drop of 29 per cent.

While European Union has seen a net loss of around 600 million birds, roughly 18 per cent since 1980.

The ecologists say that expansion and intensification of agriculture are putting pressure on 73 per cent of species, while logging, invasive species, exploitation of natural resources and climate breakdown are the other main threats.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/swiss-glaciers-melt-at-record-rate-lose-over-6-volume-in-2022-520537" hreflang="en">Swiss glaciers' melting rate peaks to worst in century, lose over 6% volume</a>

&nbsp;“We have to stop these declines and start getting on track for recovery. Our future, as well as the world’s birds, depends on it. If we continue to unravel the fabric of life, we’re going to continue to place our own future at threat,” Dr Stuart Butchart, chief scientist at BirdLife International, said, according to the Guardian.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-big-central-banks-financing-deforestation-of-brazils-amazon-forest-report-520610" hreflang="en">Three big central banks financing deforestation of Brazil’s Amazon forest</a>

In the 2018 report, BirdLife International found 40 per cent of bird species worldwide in decline.

“Birds are useful for telling us about the state of the planet. What they say is that nature is in poor condition, lots of species are in decline,” Butchart said.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

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Birds are a key indicator of the health of the planet, as they are responsive to environmental change and have important ecological functions. However, it seems that some bird species are nearing extinction, a new report has claimed.

Birds are a key indicator of the health of the planet, as they are responsive to environmental change and have important ecological functions. However, it seems that some bird species are nearing extinction, a new report has claimed. And it has blamed human actions for such ecological destruction. A report titled ‘State of the World’s Birds’, which is published every four years by BirdLife International, has said that 49 per cent of the bird species are on the decline, while one in eight are threatened with extinction and at least 187 species are confirmed or suspected to have gone extinct since 1500. "One in eight bird species is threatened with extinction, and the status of the world's birds continues to deteriorate: species are moving ever faster towards extinction," said the report released this week. The report bases its findings on the data of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In North America, the losses are profound. BirdLife International report states that there are now 2.9 billion fewer individual birds in the region than there were in 1970, an estimated drop of 29 per cent. While European Union has seen a net loss of around 600 million birds, roughly 18 per cent since 1980. The ecologists say that expansion and intensification of agriculture are putting pressure on 73 per cent of species, while logging, invasive species, exploitation of natural resources and climate breakdown are the other main threats. Also read | Swiss glaciers' melting rate peaks to worst in century, lose over 6% volume “We have to stop these declines and start getting on track for recovery. Our future, as well as the world’s birds, depends on it. If we continue to unravel the fabric of life, we’re going to continue to place our own future at threat,” Dr Stuart Butchart, chief scientist at BirdLife International, said, according to the Guardian. Also read | Three big central banks financing deforestation of Brazil’s Amazon forest In the 2018 report, BirdLife International found 40 per cent of bird species worldwide in decline. “Birds are useful for telling us about the state of the planet. What they say is that nature is in poor condition, lots of species are in decline,” Butchart said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Nearly half of bird species in decline, moving faster to extinction: Report

The world's largest economy, the United States of America is struggling with a 40-year high inflation. US federal reserve is poised to unleash another interest rate hike on Wednesday after the latest data showed a worrying US inflation picture.

World Business Watch: US Fed reserve set for another rate hike on Wednesday

As per reports, China may soon face sanctions over its Taiwan bid. The United States is now mulling options for sanctions package to deter Beijing as the diplomatic pressure from Taipei mounts.

China may soon face sanctions from the West; Taiwan builds up diplomatic pressure

United States Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in on how the nation is being made weaker by the anti-democratic forces that have apparently emerged in the mainstream of American politics. As per Harris, such forces are also undermining the legitimacy of the country overseas. She described it as a major threat.&nbsp;

During an interview that was aired on Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press", Harris was asked a question related to the tragic 9/11 tragedy.&nbsp;

On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijacked jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.&nbsp;

The US vice president was asked whether the threats from within the United States pose a risk equal to or greater than what the nation faced 21 years ago on 9/11.&nbsp;

During the interview, Harris noted the oaths of the office she had taken as a prosecutor, California's attorney general, a senator and vice president to uphold the Constitution "against all enemies, foreign and domestic — and we don’t compare the two."&nbsp;

She said, "It is very dangerous and, I think, very harmful. And it makes us weaker."&nbsp;

She added, "I think what it sends is a signal that causes people to question, 'Hey, is America still valuing what they talk about?'. I think that through the process of what we’ve been through, we’re starting to allow people to call into question our commitment to those principles. And that's a shame."&nbsp;

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

United States Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in on how the nation is being made weaker by the anti-democratic forces that have apparently emerged in the mainstream of American politics.

United States Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in on how the nation is being made weaker by the anti-democratic forces that have apparently emerged in the mainstream of American politics. As per Harris, such forces are also undermining the legitimacy of the country overseas. She described it as a major threat. During an interview that was aired on Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press", Harris was asked a question related to the tragic 9/11 tragedy. On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijacked jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. The US vice president was asked whether the threats from within the United States pose a risk equal to or greater than what the nation faced 21 years ago on 9/11. During the interview, Harris noted the oaths of the office she had taken as a prosecutor, California's attorney general, a senator and vice president to uphold the Constitution "against all enemies, foreign and domestic — and we don’t compare the two." She said, "It is very dangerous and, I think, very harmful. And it makes us weaker." She added, "I think what it sends is a signal that causes people to question, 'Hey, is America still valuing what they talk about?'. I think that through the process of what we’ve been through, we’re starting to allow people to call into question our commitment to those principles. And that's a shame." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US VP Kamala Harris says threats from within country harming America at home and abroad: Report

The temperature in Washington, DC, reached a record 100 degrees Fahrenheit when NASA climatologist James Hansen spoke before Congress in June 1988 regarding a warming world. Unprecedented heat waves plagued the summer, while drought affected 40 states.&nbsp;

His warning was seen as a historic wake-up call, but the US replaced the batteries and continued to cook instead of paying attention to the existential smoke alarm.&nbsp;

Nearly 40 years later, states from California to Colorado in the US southwest and mountain west are seeing the effects of a hotter planet firsthand. Extreme heat and declining moisture levels have combined over the previous two decades to produce a "megadrought" that is thought to be the driest time in 1,200 years.
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The current period of aridity, which started in the year 2000, is unprecedented since AD800, despite the fact that dryness is a natural feature of the southwest's climate. This was discovered by examining the relationship between tree rings and soil moisture. 42 per cent of the hot and dry weather over the previous two decades was attributed to global warming by the 2022 study, which was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The difficulties brought on by climate change also offer fresh opportunities in the southwest. Environmental organisations have suggested storing whatever water is left in Lake Powell in Lake Mead to conserve water since both Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at record-low levels of capacity. By taking this action, Lake Powell's canyons would be restored to their pre-reservoir condition, resulting in the creation of carbon-sink landscapes and perhaps even a new national park.

The west is currently in new territory as formerly exceptional circumstances become the norm. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, two of its most powerful reservoirs, are at record low levels and are shrivelling steadily. Cities like Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, are becoming nearly uninhabitable throughout the summer due to protracted triple-digit heatwaves. And since dry forests and grasslands are more ready to ignite than ever, wildfires increasingly occur throughout the year.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/juxtapose-dramatic-expansion-of-bahrain-by-building-land-on-sea-1987-vs-2022-515720">Before and after images show dramatic expansion of Bahrain by building land on sea: 1987 vs 2022</a>

In some areas of the southwest, average annual temperatures have risen by more than 1.5C, which is commonly regarded as the tipping point at which terrible repercussions for people and the environment start to materialise, according to a recent analysis by the Washington Post.

In a report released in February of last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) described how the ponderosa pine forests of the southwest are being destroyed by wildfires that are causing a hazardous "positive feedback cycle." According to Camille Parmesan, an ecologist who participated to the paper, some woods can actually generate greenhouse gases as they burn, leading to increased warmth rather than acting as a "carbon sink" that absorbs CO2.

(with inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

The temperature in Washington, DC, reached a record 100 degrees Fahrenheit when NASA climatologist James Hansen spoke before Congress in June 1988 regarding a warming world.

The temperature in Washington, DC, reached a record 100 degrees Fahrenheit when NASA climatologist James Hansen spoke before Congress in June 1988 regarding a warming world. Unprecedented heat waves plagued the summer, while drought affected 40 states. His warning was seen as a historic wake-up call, but the US replaced the batteries and continued to cook instead of paying attention to the existential smoke alarm. Nearly 40 years later, states from California to Colorado in the US southwest and mountain west are seeing the effects of a hotter planet firsthand. Extreme heat and declining moisture levels have combined over the previous two decades to produce a "megadrought" that is thought to be the driest time in 1,200 years. The current period of aridity, which started in the year 2000, is unprecedented since AD800, despite the fact that dryness is a natural feature of the southwest's climate. This was discovered by examining the relationship between tree rings and soil moisture. 42 per cent of the hot and dry weather over the previous two decades was attributed to global warming by the 2022 study, which was published in the journal Nature Climate Change. The difficulties brought on by climate change also offer fresh opportunities in the southwest. Environmental organisations have suggested storing whatever water is left in Lake Powell in Lake Mead to conserve water since both Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at record-low levels of capacity. By taking this action, Lake Powell's canyons would be restored to their pre-reservoir condition, resulting in the creation of carbon-sink landscapes and perhaps even a new national park. The west is currently in new territory as formerly exceptional circumstances become the norm. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, two of its most powerful reservoirs, are at record low levels and are shrivelling steadily. Cities like Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, are becoming nearly uninhabitable throughout the summer due to protracted triple-digit heatwaves. And since dry forests and grasslands are more ready to ignite than ever, wildfires increasingly occur throughout the year. Also Read: Before and after images show dramatic expansion of Bahrain by building land on sea: 1987 vs 2022 In some areas of the southwest, average annual temperatures have risen by more than 1.5C, which is commonly regarded as the tipping point at which terrible repercussions for people and the environment start to materialise, according to a recent analysis by the Washington Post. In a report released in February of last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) described how the ponderosa pine forests of the southwest are being destroyed by wildfires that are causing a hazardous "positive feedback cycle." According to Camille Parmesan, an ecologist who participated to the paper, some woods can actually generate greenhouse gases as they burn, leading to increased warmth rather than acting as a "carbon sink" that absorbs CO2. (with inputs from agencies)

Infographic: Megadrought in America, a climate disaster unseen in 1,200 years

NASA had to postpone the launch of Artemis-1 lunar mission twice over fuel leakage issues. What do the delays say about America's sliding space supremacy? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Failed moon launches expose NASA

As tensions with China continue to rise, the US has announced $1.1 billion arms package for Taiwan. Now, China has issued a stern warning to US over arms sales to Taiwan.

Tensions continue to soar across Taiwan; China issues stern warning to the US

A record-breaking heat wave is settling over the western parts of America. In the wake of rising temperatures, California has asked its citizens not to charge their electric vehicles so as to minimize their usage.

WION Climate Tracker: Western US bakes under heatwave; govt urges reduced electricity usage

Iran is 'closely reviewing' America's response to a final draft of the nuclear deal. Europe's top diplomat claims a new deal is just days away. What are the key points of the new agreement? How will it affect west Asian politics? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Iran, US inch closer to reviving nuclear deal

Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan has triggered tensions with China. Now, Taiwan has become a new flash point in US-China relations? But why Taiwan matters to the United States?

Taiwan new flash point in US-China relations | Why Taiwan matters to the United States?

The U.S. has been hit by severe drought and heatwave. The situation is so dire, that in some states farmers are destroying their own crops. In Las Vegas, authorities have banned lawns because they consume too much water. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Extreme weather: Farmers destroy their own crops in America

A CEO of an American start-up recently posted a crying selfie on social media. He said he had to fire some employees because of his poor decision making. Palki Sharma tells you how the internet reacted to the crying selfie, and how the episode has important lessons in personal branding.

Gravitas: The 'crying CEO' and lessons in personal branding

US top diplomat Antony Blinken is in Africa to woo the nations, which have largely steered clear of backing Washington against Moscow in the Ukraine war.

WION Fineprint | US top diplomat in Blinken in Africa to counter Russian, Chinese influence

Domino's has closed the last of its local stores in Italy, the American Pizza giant blamed the reduced demand, increase in competition in food-delivery market and pandemic, the reasons behind closing its chain.

Domino's American style menu exits Italy, fails to impress Italians

Seven years after entering Italy, the homeland of pizza and pizza lovers, Domino's Pizza has had to say a bitter goodbye. Reportedly, after failing to ace the Italian market, the US fast food giant is exiting Italy after closing the last of its 29 stores in the region on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Domino's entered the Italian market in 2015 thinking it could serve the traditional Italian dish with its American twist, including pineapple as a topping. The Michigan-based food chain had ambitious plans to expand in the Italian market by opening 800 stores.

However, the franchise, fast-food style of making pizzas did not go down well with the Italians who preferred the rustic, homemade feel of pizzas. It didn't help that a global pandemic wrecked Domino's business strategy as Italian pizzamakers also took the delivery route.&nbsp;

Reportedly, Domino's had partnered up with ePizza SpA in a franchising agreement and sought to use its delivery prowess to outmuscle the market.

The tables turned after the pandemic

However, as the pandemic arrived, the traditional Italian pizza makers soon caught up by scaling their deliveries through partnerships with modern third-party delivery aggregators such as Just Eat, Takeaway.com, Glovo and Deliveroo Plc amongst others.&nbsp;

Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-real-life-superman-saves-fives-kids-from-a-burning-house-499996">Real life superman aka Pizza delivery boy saves fives kids from a burning house</a>

Domino's was never going to compete in the taste race with the Italian pizzamakers. It relied on its delivery speed and the ability to be ubiquitous -- a formula that has worked effectively around the planet.

However, Italy turned out to be difficult dough to knead for the American company. Even in its last year's fourth-quarter report, Domino's franchise partner had noted the increased competition.

“We attribute the issue to the significantly increased level of competition in the food delivery market with both organized chains and ‘mom &amp; pop’ restaurants delivering food, to service and restaurants reopening post-pandemic and consumers out and about with revenge spending." said ePizza in its report.&nbsp;

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/eating-chips-drinking-sugary-beverages-has-very-low-environmental-impact-study-505119">Eating chips, drinking sugary beverages have very low environmental impact: Study</a>

As of 2020, Domino's operations in Italy had an outstanding debt of $10.8 million. It was only after the company knocked on the doors of a court in Milan that it was able to fend off the creditors for some time.

However, the relief expired last month and Domino's decided to drop the shutter altogether on its remaining branches.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

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Seven years after entering Italy, the homeland of pizza and pizza lovers, Domino's Pizza has had to say a bitter goodbye. Reportedly, after failing to ace the Italian market, the US fast food giant is exiting Italy after closing the last of its 29 stores in the region on Tuesday.

Seven years after entering Italy, the homeland of pizza and pizza lovers, Domino's Pizza has had to say a bitter goodbye. Reportedly, after failing to ace the Italian market, the US fast food giant is exiting Italy after closing the last of its 29 stores in the region on Tuesday. Domino's entered the Italian market in 2015 thinking it could serve the traditional Italian dish with its American twist, including pineapple as a topping. The Michigan-based food chain had ambitious plans to expand in the Italian market by opening 800 stores. However, the franchise, fast-food style of making pizzas did not go down well with the Italians who preferred the rustic, homemade feel of pizzas. It didn't help that a global pandemic wrecked Domino's business strategy as Italian pizzamakers also took the delivery route. Reportedly, Domino's had partnered up with ePizza SpA in a franchising agreement and sought to use its delivery prowess to outmuscle the market. The tables turned after the pandemic However, as the pandemic arrived, the traditional Italian pizza makers soon caught up by scaling their deliveries through partnerships with modern third-party delivery aggregators such as Just Eat, Takeaway.com, Glovo and Deliveroo Plc amongst others. Watch: Real life superman aka Pizza delivery boy saves fives kids from a burning house Domino's was never going to compete in the taste race with the Italian pizzamakers. It relied on its delivery speed and the ability to be ubiquitous -- a formula that has worked effectively around the planet. However, Italy turned out to be difficult dough to knead for the American company. Even in its last year's fourth-quarter report, Domino's franchise partner had noted the increased competition. “We attribute the issue to the significantly increased level of competition in the food delivery market with both organized chains and ‘mom & pop’ restaurants delivering food, to service and restaurants reopening post-pandemic and consumers out and about with revenge spending." said ePizza in its report. Read more: Eating chips, drinking sugary beverages have very low environmental impact: Study As of 2020, Domino's operations in Italy had an outstanding debt of $10.8 million. It was only after the company knocked on the doors of a court in Milan that it was able to fend off the creditors for some time. However, the relief expired last month and Domino's decided to drop the shutter altogether on its remaining branches. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Domino's Pizza packs its bags and leaves Italy after failing to ace the market

The United States is finally on the verge of its first significant attempt to tackle the climate crisis. According to the president Joe Biden, the climate bill which is a part of Biden's inflation reduction act will not only help rewire the American economy but also act as an important step in averting disastrous global heating.

WION Climate Tracker: America's biggest energy bill ever| How clean is Biden's clean energy plan?

Science is never static, it evolved as new tools and techniques become available and old knowledge is updated with new based on obesrvations, tests and study. Change is of course the only constant and the adage fits perfectly to all sciences.

A new study has added to the discussion of when exactly did humans arrived to North America.

It is generally considered that first native Americans arrived in North America in 10,000 BC. These people are thought to have crossed the 'alnd bridge' that previously connected Siberia (Russia) and Alaska (North America).

However, new findings put forth an assertion that North America was populated by humans tens of thousands of years before the previously accepted date of their arrival.

Analysis of mammoth bones suggests that humans were present in North America in 37,000 BC.

Now how did the scientists arrive at this conclusion? They found a bone of a female mammoth that lived 37,000 years ago. And they found injuries on the bone that could only have made by butchering by ancient humans.

“I think it’s a rock-solid radiocarbon date,” said paleontologist Timothy Rowe, a professor at the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas in Austin. “Skeptics will put everything under the microscope, but I think we checked every box.”

Rowe is the lead author of the study on these bones. The study has been published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

He was quoted by NBC.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Science is never static, it evolved as new tools and techniques become available and old knowledge is updated with new based on obesrvations, tests and study. Change is of course the only constant and the adage fits perfectly to all sciences.

Science is never static, it evolved as new tools and techniques become available and old knowledge is updated with new based on obesrvations, tests and study. Change is of course the only constant and the adage fits perfectly to all sciences. A new study has added to the discussion of when exactly did humans arrived to North America. It is generally considered that first native Americans arrived in North America in 10,000 BC. These people are thought to have crossed the 'alnd bridge' that previously connected Siberia (Russia) and Alaska (North America). However, new findings put forth an assertion that North America was populated by humans tens of thousands of years before the previously accepted date of their arrival. Analysis of mammoth bones suggests that humans were present in North America in 37,000 BC. Now how did the scientists arrive at this conclusion? They found a bone of a female mammoth that lived 37,000 years ago. And they found injuries on the bone that could only have made by butchering by ancient humans. “I think it’s a rock-solid radiocarbon date,” said paleontologist Timothy Rowe, a professor at the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas in Austin. “Skeptics will put everything under the microscope, but I think we checked every box.” Rowe is the lead author of the study on these bones. The study has been published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. He was quoted by NBC. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

When did first humans reach America? Mammoth bones add to the debate

For two consecutive quarters now - the American economy has contracted. For many economists this would mean the beginning of a recession. But American leaders argue - the US is not in a recession. Who is right? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Is America in a recession?

West Virginia Democrat senator&nbsp;Joe Manchin III has taken a volta-face on his earlier policy of not supporting US President Joe Biden's ambitious 'Build Back better' plan. With the Democrats having a razor-thin majority in the Senate,&nbsp;Manchin's support could help Biden pass the plan and implement it on the ground.&nbsp;

However, Manchin remarked that the new policy will not be called 'Build Back better' but 'Inflation Reduction Act of 2022'. Reportedly, it will also have significant cuts from its previous iteration.&nbsp;

“Build Back Better is dead, and instead we have the opportunity to make our country stronger by bringing Americans together,” said Manchin.&nbsp;

By hiking the corporate minimum tax on big companies to 15 per cent, the new tax policy, if implemented, is expected to generate&nbsp;$739 billion by the end of the decade. Moreover,&nbsp;$369 billion will be spent on climate and energy reforms while $64 billion will be used to beef up the Affordable Care Act.&nbsp;&nbsp;

What was Manchin's earlier stance?

As reported extensively by WION, the conservative Democrat had single-handedly crashed Biden's 'Build Back Better' plan to eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions from the US electricity grid, raise money for new eco-friendly technologies and tax the ultra-rich.&nbsp;Manchin had applied brakes on the new tax and healthcare reforms as well by stating that he will wait for the July inflation numbers to come up first.&nbsp;

Such was Biden's helplessness that he was mulling bringing a climate emergency plan. However, the President backtracked at the last minute and unveiled a $2.3 billion&nbsp;plan to fight climate change.&nbsp;

Read More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-mulls-declaring-climate-change-emergency-but-can-he-fight-off-his-colleagues-498760">Joe Biden mulls declaring 'Climate Change Emergency' but can he fight off his colleagues?</a>

In his presidential nomination, Biden had enlisted a $2 trillion four-year plan to curb planet-warming emissions. However, over a year into his tenure, the plan is yet to hit the ground running.

The support of&nbsp;Manchin might just help the project have a liftoff date.&nbsp;It's not clear what prompted Manchin's sudden change of heart but the Democrats will not mind it one bit; especially when the conservative senator had repeatedly thrown a monkey wrench into Biden's plans for the better part of last year.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

West Virginia Democrat senator Joe Manchin III has taken a volta-face on his earlier policy of not supporting US President Joe Biden's ambitious 'Build Back better' plan.

West Virginia Democrat senator Joe Manchin III has taken a volta-face on his earlier policy of not supporting US President Joe Biden's ambitious 'Build Back better' plan. With the Democrats having a razor-thin majority in the Senate, Manchin's support could help Biden pass the plan and implement it on the ground. However, Manchin remarked that the new policy will not be called 'Build Back better' but 'Inflation Reduction Act of 2022'. Reportedly, it will also have significant cuts from its previous iteration. “Build Back Better is dead, and instead we have the opportunity to make our country stronger by bringing Americans together,” said Manchin. By hiking the corporate minimum tax on big companies to 15 per cent, the new tax policy, if implemented, is expected to generate $739 billion by the end of the decade. Moreover, $369 billion will be spent on climate and energy reforms while $64 billion will be used to beef up the Affordable Care Act. What was Manchin's earlier stance? As reported extensively by WION, the conservative Democrat had single-handedly crashed Biden's 'Build Back Better' plan to eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions from the US electricity grid, raise money for new eco-friendly technologies and tax the ultra-rich. Manchin had applied brakes on the new tax and healthcare reforms as well by stating that he will wait for the July inflation numbers to come up first. Such was Biden's helplessness that he was mulling bringing a climate emergency plan. However, the President backtracked at the last minute and unveiled a $2.3 billion plan to fight climate change. Read More: Joe Biden mulls declaring 'Climate Change Emergency' but can he fight off his colleagues? In his presidential nomination, Biden had enlisted a $2 trillion four-year plan to curb planet-warming emissions. However, over a year into his tenure, the plan is yet to hit the ground running. The support of Manchin might just help the project have a liftoff date. It's not clear what prompted Manchin's sudden change of heart but the Democrats will not mind it one bit; especially when the conservative senator had repeatedly thrown a monkey wrench into Biden's plans for the better part of last year. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Democrat Senator Joe Manchin takes a volta-face; supports Biden's 'Build Back Better' plan

The current economic outlook is worrisome. Two of the world's biggest economies the United States and China are struggling. Millions in America are living on the edge, they are struggling amid historically high inflation.

World Bank warns of recession and stagflation: American and Chinese economies on the edge?

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